Joining the LDS Mormon Church

>>18531091
It's great as long as you question nothing and never ever plan on leaving.

>>18531091
GFs mom is mormon
Dont join that sect, seriously.
Also have fun being outted if you do something the church doesnt like.

File: 1497395681658.gif (17KB, 483x419px) Image search: [Google]

17KB, 483x419px

>>18531279
>Also have fun being outted if you do something the church doesnt like.

What does that mean? "Being outted"? What are you saying, specifically? outted to who? And what would be outted?

>>18531272
>It's great as long as you question nothing and never ever plan on leaving.

Ok, so what happens if you question something or leave? How bad could it possibly be?

It's all up to you but I have hands on experience with the Jehovah's Witnesses. They are very similar to the LDS. Like the LDS, the Watchtower is a captive religion. If you are baptised as LDS, you will be shunned if you leave.

The LDS do something called "love bomb" where they shower you with love and compliments to get you hooked in. They want you to feel apart of "the group." Once you are baptised, it's all about how you can serve the group, not how they can serve you.

Id vote against it, but again, it's all up to you.

>>18531091
You need to go where your heart leads you, anon. If your heart leads you to the Mormons, then talk to a real Mormon about what life is like in the church.

I've known a few of them (fewer than a dozen, but more than half a dozen), and every single one was straightforward, honest, pleasant, and kind. I'm sure there must be some bad Mormons somewhere (Mitt Romney?), but I have yet to meet one. I've thought about joining them too, simply because I admired the character of the Mormons that I have met, but I'm not religious and don't see myself becoming religious, and I'm not going to be dishonest about that when it's their honesty that attracts me. That would be my one warning: be sure that you actually join a church because you believe in Jesus, not because you're looking to join a human society.

File: 56.jpg (308KB, 1838x2567px) Image search: [Google]

308KB, 1838x2567px

>>18531091

Don't join them:

Their theology is wacky and not actually Christian:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w7bukaRhbI0

They have secret mason-esque rituals for all that are full members in the temple that unlike their church services only full mormons can join:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mU1xVeFTMPs
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xt4T3Dk1Xy8
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EpTrNXQXChI

And it is almost impossible to leave.

>>18532661

>impossible

lmao

I was born and raised in Utah, and I left the church with virtually no issue aside from my parents disagreeing with me.

This kind of weird fear of them is silly.

File: d0b1d0bed0b6d0b8d0b5d0b9-d0bcd0b0d182d0b5d180d0b8-d0bdd0b5d183d0bfd0b8d0b2d0b0d0b5d0bcd0b0d18f-d187d0b0d188d0b0.jpg (2MB, 2601x3545px) Image search: [Google]

2MB, 2601x3545px

>>18532677
So not all of your social circle / friends in the church turned their back on you when you left, like they did to a friend of mine who left the LDS here in Germany?

But even if, the other issues still stand.

>>18531769
If you leave they shun you harder than they'll shun any non-member. If you leave, you better be taking all your friends and family with you. They're nicer than JWs about it, but that's not saying much.

>>18532716

Not him

But I was baptized in the LDS church and attended until I was probably 15-16. I stopped going on my own will. As the other anon said, literally there was no issue. Nobody ever treated me any different.

When I hear stories about people being exiled and all this shit. It's really difficult to believe. I know there are "Fundamentalist" versions of the LDS church, now those do some weird shit. But they are not affiliated with the legit LDS church.

So anyways. If you join and decide later on your done. No, there will be no consequences. It's not a cult.

>>18532750

That's absolute bullshit

>>18531091
I grew up in a part of town that was overwhelmingly Mormon, and honestly, they've always come across as really disturbingly two-faced to me, like they're only friendly as long as they think they can get something from you. I knew a couple of them in high school, for instance, and they were nice kids... up until the point where they came up to me and said "Hey anon, want to hear about the Book of Mormon?" at which point I politely told them I was already Catholic and they stopped talking to me entirely. I'm not saying not to get involved if the church's message speaks to you, but just watch yourself.

>>18532849
People in religions that focus on proselytizing are usually like that. They don't really see things from your perspective.

>>18531091
ex mormon here (was raised mormon but quit at age 15-16)

>but I'd like to get the input of anyone here that has had personal hand-on (boots on the ground, if you will) experience with The LDS Mormon Church. Is there anything that stood out to you?
theyre basically a barely tolerable cult. like other anons said they bait and hook with genuine kindness/friendliness etc then youre expected to conform to their absolute assload of nonsense

>Tips on integration?
just shut up and do what youre told but you seem weak minded enough that that shouldnt be a problem

>Warnings?
no really point in bothering since youre basically a retarded little kid getting seduced by flattery

>Pros and Cons?

>pros
none that i can think of. maybe networking but i think mormons best days are behind them in terms of financial success. pure virgin waifu? do you like horse faced blondes?

>cons
too many to name
extreme conformity
useless outdated moral codes
even outright retarded morals (no caffeine, coffee, tea, alcholol, hot drinks, etc)
having a useless amount of kids
paying for said kids
tons of extracurricular activities that eat up all your time
i could go on forever but thats a few

>>18533131
>hot drinks
I knew about caffeine, but really, not even hot chocolate?

>>18533180
i think thats only one they let pass because they cant enforce it without looking blatantly absolutely batshit insane (same reason why they dont say anything about drinks like coke and pepsi). but its more along the lines of coffee and such

>>18533199
>same reason why they dont say anything about drinks like coke and pepsi
Mormons I knew refused to drink any soda with caffeine. I'd rather they be consistent if they're going to have nutty rules.

>>18533218
see
> they let pass because they cant enforce it without looking blatantly absolutely batshit insane

i never said theres mormon that dont adhere to the rules strictly. im saying that if mormon do happen to drink coffee or whatever they wont get all confrontational about because they literally wont stand any chance whatsoever unlike if they were attempt to prevent marijuana use, theyd have a much better chance because that belief is more in line with mainstream society

Mormon here, I went through the temple and got my garments and went on a mission.

Ask me anything.

>>18531272
fpbp

>>18531091
Mormans are good people and as you said they can be genuine, the Mormon theology though is very cult like

I grew up Mormon and the church deliberately taught me things that fucked up my sexuality. I left the church when I was 16. I am 20 years old and am still having psychosomatic erectile dysfunction issues. My psychologist says it was caused by social conditioning from the mormon church, which will teach your kids that masturbating makes them a bad person and that they shouldn't think sexual thoughts when they look at pretty women because that makes them bad people.

>>18534853

>which will teach your kids that masturbating makes them a bad person and that they shouldn't think sexual thoughts when they look at pretty women because that makes them bad people

I grew up Mormon as well and left the church also at 16.

I never experienced that.. nobody ever said "masturbating makes you bad" (granted I didn't know what masturbating was until I was 17). All they pushed was sex is something that's meant for marriage. They encouraged dating, but always said to take things slowly and had a step system so people wouldn't end up having sex before marriage. They never said guys were bad for looking at women. But just said it's not very respectful and women are more beautiful modest. All they pushed was the dangers of sex before marriage (high divorce rates, problems, STDs, pregnancy) which are valid reasons, just with a religious twist to it.

>>18534880
What state did you grow up in, if I might know? I am genuinely glad that you did not have the same experience as I did, which caused me a great deal of anguish.

The specifics of how sexual immorality is taught might differ from region to region or ward to ward, but I do know that a lot of people have the same experience as I do. My bishop asked me if I masturbate. Members in my wards also taught me that it was sinful to have sexual thoughts or desires when you look at a woman, regardless if you act on them or not. I also felt like their restrictions on dating (heavily encouraging kids to only date other Mormons non-exclusively while on double dates) was very restricted and stunted social skills. I have read online and in person about other people in other wards having their kids questioned by the bishop about whether they masturbate. I was also taught that whenever I looked at a woman and had sexual fantasies or felt sexual desire that it was wrong and that I should control myself and not think about those things.

OP, if you do join the church, there is a very significant chance that your children will experience this. I would go far enough to say that it is the norm rather than the exception. The church will probably condition your kids to have a great deal of shame about sexual desires. Once they get married, you can't just flip that switch and start feeling okay about sexual desires.

>>18534899

Virginia.

Well, I do have issues with sex and affection. But I don't believe it has anything to do with the church.

That all sounds crazy to me. I never witnessed any of that. Literally, the general mindset was a conservative view towards sex. But I never saw any "shaming" or anything. Maybe it was just the people, but the youth and young men's leaders were actually pretty cool. I remember once a month the leader of the young men's group would have all of us come over his house and we'd LAN party Halo 2 with like 7 xboxs and his wife would make tons of food for us. They did dances and stuff once every few months so single young adults could mingle, I only went to one (because it was apart of a trip that we all did to Ohio.) I don't care for the dance shit, so for me it was very awkward. But everyone else seemed to have a good time. Girls and guys danced together. Obviously there was no like grinding or anything. But it didn't seem super strict or regulated

>>18534919
I was part of the church in California and Idaho. I think it is not as liberal as it is in the East.

File: 1467068812311.jpg (645KB, 3200x2150px) Image search: [Google]

645KB, 3200x2150px

Hey guys, I'm OP. When I left this thread yesterday, there were only the first two replies, and I figured the thread would die overnight, but here it is, and I sincerely appreciate everyone that is replying.

What I'm gathering from everyone's input is that apparently there is a huge spectrum to the LDS experience. That was very unexpected as I assumed that they would be just as strict or just as lenient wherever they are since it's the same religion, no matter what region it's practiced in. So this is a surprise.

What draws me to the idea of being a mormon is honestly the people. They all seem so genuine and loving. I'm a little scared after reading the "love bomb" comments because I certainly did feel that, and if that's not really how things are (if it's just bait for a hook and not how they really feel) then I would probably leave. But the facade is a loving a nurturing environment.

I was also drawn to their focus on FAMILY. I'm a grown man with a decent life and job and house and car and all that, but I am not part of a community, and I don't have a family, so their focus on family is extremely alluring. The idea of meeting a decent, modest, faithful woman for the purpose of having children and a family seems not only more likely, but outright encouraged in the Mormon religion.

>>18534924

Perhaps. But all I can say is I never have seen anything of the things you mentioned.

The only one in my family who is still actively in the church is my older brother and his family. He never talks to me about the church or anything, but he seems relatively happy with his family. I've never seen this "cult" like atmosphere. I mean I have no interest in going back, but I'm sure if I were to decide to walk into a church this coming Sunday, nobody would "Shame" me.

The way I have seen and experienced the Mormon church is a Christian conservative organization. They push for young men to be in the Boy Scouts, they push for young girls to do Girl Scouts. They push for community service and also encourage those interested in military service. I've just never seen these weird stories people keep talking about. If I had a non Mormon girlfriend or something in high school, nobody would have ever said anything to me other than probably "hey anon, you should invite her to a church dance!". There definitely was people in my ward dating non Mormon girls, and nobody ever looked down on them.

>>18534938

Look. It's not a cult that's going to lock you into a wooded house.

Just go, if you like it you can become a member. If not, you don't have to. Nobody will force anything on you

>>18534938
When I was in the church we were taught to be nice to people investigating it specifically because we wanted them to think that Mormons are good people and we don't want to hurt the image of the Mormon church ( "I knew a Mormon once and he was a dick"). Also, after my dad left the church, all of his friends that he had known for years and had spent plenty of time with outside the church shunned him.

That affection is mostly a lie, bro.

If you want a decent woman, go find a decent woman and make a family with her. You don't need a church to have a good woman. Just because a woman is Mormon doesn't mean she's a good woman. You also don't need the church in order to put your family first, love your kids, and teach your kids responsibility, discipline, and respect for themselves.

I think that there are plenty of churches that will allow you to quickly meet people that share your values so that you can make friends who are like-minded and kind people. Please marry a Christian woman who follows another church. The church caused me and my father a lot of anguish because of its teachings. I think that you are much more likely to be happy if you join another church.

In my experience, the people in the mormon church who are nice did it disingenuously. That's why they seem so incredibly nice. It's a facade, because they want to make the church have a good image.

Lastly, I discovered for myself at 16 that the church is not true. I read the entire Book of Mormon and prayed about it several times. I felt no response from God each time even though I was following the commandments and rules of the church. It's not true.

You can be happy in another church, and I'm pretty sure that you're more likely to find good people and good women in another church and still make it so that your children are not taught things that will make them feel bad about their sexuality.

>>18534962

>When I was in the church we were taught to be nice to people investigating it specifically because we wanted them to think that Mormons are good people and we don't want to hurt the image of the Mormon church

Again. I never witnessed this.

>>18534949
>>18534951
It's not a scientology tier cult, but it definitely is a sorta-cult. From my personal experience, church members act super nice to non-Mormons specifically because they want the church to have a good image and see it as their duty to convert others. When my dad left the church, all of his mormon friends that he had spent quality time with for years shunned him. He decided to live with(but not have sex with) a good woman he fell in love with (he was 60 years old and divorced for 8 years, he found a wonderful woman). His bishop got so angry at him that he screamed at him. All his friends ignored him.

It's sorta a cult. Especially in the way that they want you to try and convert all your friends and only date other mormons.

>>18534967
Well whoopty-do, good for you.

OP, read online the experiences of people who have left the church. Check out https://www.reddit.com/r/exmormon/

>>18534967
to add to his other points about the church not being true. look up the life of joseph smith. he was a criminal that committed fraud and ran scams or some shit like that. also, one of the mormom books is literally a fraud. joseph smith basically bought an egyptian scroll which was basically literally a manual for how to have a funeral in ancient egypt. then he 'translated' them with the 'urim' and 'thummim' (which conveniently dont exist on the mortal plain anymore) into was whats called the book of abraham

>>18531091
Mormons are seriously the nicest people I have ever met.

>>18532716
no. You don't know a fucking thing about them.

So please, shut the fuck up.

>>18534880
>I didn't know what masturbating was until I was 17
Confirmed for abused as a child

They hate black people like you wouldn't believe.

>>18536105
I'd say you're probably just a Mormon, but they're usually nice and well dressed.

File: 640x480.jpg (30KB, 640x480px) Image search: [Google]

30KB, 640x480px

>>18534938

Mate, what you're describing is stock standard for many Christian denominations/churches. You don't need to risk joining a cult to get what you're looking for.

Explore other churches around your area. There is a spectrum here as well, going from crazy militant to barely religious. But you are bound to find one thats decent and has the community and values you're looking for.

t. ex-Christian

Enjoy the loads of hot mormon pussy (srs)