I Was a Good Mormon Wife Until My Husband Stopped.......

[freejoytoo]

It's meant to be a reminder of their temple vows, I think.

[lilwriter85]

A friend of mine and her husband lived in Utah for a few years when her husband was in the Air Force. My friend is an RN and she worked at a clinic and some of her Mormon co-workers tried to get her interested in Mormonism. She told them she wasn't interested and they didn't push it again. The co-workers were probably secretly disappointed about it. Some Mormons aren't too aggressive about trying to find people to convert.

[CynicMom]

Anyone remember the exmormon.org story about women and depression? I'm trying to find it again and it looks like it' been removed.

[countressrascal]

I was going to ask a question before I got side-tracked telling my Mormons-stalking-us story -

What is the thing with the underwear that the woman mentions in the article? Devout Mormons have special underwear they have to wear? WTF?

Both men and women wear it, they recieve it once they go through the Temple. Now it is a two pieces, an undershirt with small cap sleves and then bottoms that are about 3-4 inches above the knees. If you are a women, the garnments go against your skin and everything else goes over the top. On the right breast there is a synmbol and on both knees. Men are the same except the longer sleves. They wear them 24 hours a day. They have gotten a little better over the years. At one time they were like long underwear, FDLS still wear them.

Whole theory behind them are one to dress modesty. Then they are to have magic power and protect the member from harm. I can't remember which President of the Church talked about being in a situation where there was a fire and he was only burned up to his garnment edge. Also they are to remind you that you are special and need to thank JC the Sky Pilot that you are part of the cult.

The Golden Tablets is not the weirdess story that they have.

Quakers live on the moon, temple worthy men get thier own planet when they die, whole temple thing is weird, I could go on and on. I live and work in an area that is about 75-80% Mormon for the past 25 years.

[SisiL78]

There was a time when I was super critical of Judaism etc... Until I started learning about other religions where critcism would get your butt kicked out while I got the feeling that most Rabbis I knew enjoyed a good argument. I also grew up near Hill Cumorah in Upstate NY. This is where Joe Smith "found" his golden plates and started his religion.

Anyhoo, I was awestruck by the fact that just over the internet and through a few books I learned all this stuff about Mormonism and the Mormons I'd meet (or who would accost me) seemed dumbstruck when I either mentioned something that they thought was super secret and how would I know or things they themselves didn't know.

But, as one mostly ex-mormon describes it many Mormons live in a semi-police state. As children they don't have access to unfettered internet access and are given only the positive information regarding Joe Smith. As teenagers they are still monitored and there is such rampant tattling that you are afraid to say anything that could get the local religious leaders knocking on your parents' door. So you don't discuss your doubts or share info. Even the librarians could be potential moles and your parents are monitoring your interwebs. So if you happen to be an intellectually curious Mormon teen with doubts you're SOL. If you're sent to Mission you're never alone. Your mission partner is always there aside from potty time. In college, if you go to a Mormon college (because at this point you've drunk a lot of kool-aid) the monitoring continues. Its not unlike being a member of the Duggar household.

I would think that by the time you're an adult and married you probably don't want to make waves, plus you don't want your spouse getting any of the local leaders involved either and you don't want to mess up your nice life. If you start expressing a lack of belief etc... you could lose your job and friends. Heck, if your "tithe" goes down and you're still a believer they all get up in your business too.

What this husband did was gutsy. He investigated and came to his own conclusion and then was open with his wife. I give him props for that.

[SisiL78]

The saddest thing on exmormon.org are the parents whose kids got married at the Temple but the parents couldn't go in b/c they weren't full members anymore. Even sadder are the ones cut off from their grandkids because of their unbeliever status.

I love my mom despite her being the biggest PIA I know. I cannot imagine not having her there when I marry or to play with my grandkids.

When reading exmormon.org make sure you have a box of kleenex handy.

[Visionoyahweh]

Aw, everyone left out the part about the Garden of Eden being in Missouri.

[freejoytoo]

That's part of what they teach now, right? How can anyone buy this? Even if they were raised in the church, doesn't that raise some eyebrows when it's been proven that that couldn't and didn't happen?

Don't they also believe that Adam is God?

[Muriel]

Both men and women wear it, they recieve it once they go through the Temple. Now it is a two pieces, an undershirt with small cap sleves and then bottoms that are about 3-4 inches above the knees. If you are a women, the garnments go against your skin and everything else goes over the top. On the right breast there is a synmbol and on both knees. Men are the same except the longer sleves. They wear them 24 hours a day. They have gotten a little better over the years. At one time they were like long underwear, FDLS still wear them.

Whole theory behind them are one to dress modesty. Then they are to have magic power and protect the member from harm. I can't remember which President of the Church talked about being in a situation where there was a fire and he was only burned up to his garnment edge. Also they are to remind you that you are special and need to thank JC the Sky Pilot that you are part of the cult.

The Golden Tablets is not the weirdess story that they have.

Quakers live on the moon, temple worthy men get thier own planet when they die, whole temple thing is weird, I could go on and on. I live and work in an area that is about 75-80% Mormon for the past 25 years.

This was not very effective on Nienie from "Nienie dialogue" as she was burnt on 80% of her body :roll:

[SisiL78]

Aw, everyone left out the part about the Garden of Eden being in Missouri.

Apparently no Mormon has ever actually traveled to Missouri... If that's the Garden of Eden then I'm sorely disappointed in G-d's ability to create paradise. I would think G-d would make something more awesome, ya know? I was expecting more lush flora and perhaps some sparkling brooks or something. And I can't resolve why they would need a Garden of Eden if good Mormons get their own planet after they die. Is G of E just a place to visit when you're going off planet? I've asked this of Mormons before. I get silence.

If anyone can enlighten me I'd love to hear it! :think:

[freejoytoo]

I'm confused about this piece of doctrine - don't they believe that the Israelites sailed over to America or something? Not only is that terribly inaccurate in itself, but how did the Garden of Eden start off in Missouri if that was the case?

[CynicMom]

I thought the doctrine was that all of history took place in America before the Flood washed everyone to the middle east.

[freejoytoo]

How....? Wtf?!

[margiebargie]

I was talking to my daughter about Greek Mythology, in a way that might make sense to a 5 year old, a few days ago, and realized that the Greek God of the Underworld was named "Mormo". He was Hecate's lovah. Coincidence?

exmormon.org ate a few weeks of my life once.

Ditto on the mormon/moroni/moron thing. With Mitt running for President, the subject of mormons comes up now and then; and sometimes I accidentally say "moron" instead of "mormon".

exmormon.org is fascinating. I had no idea...the underwear...the seer stones...your very own planet (only if you're a dude, of course)...Joseph Smith's shady background. It's something else.

[freejoytoo]

Mormonism is like a giant pisstake of Christianity. It would be funny if it didn't have so many people signed up to it.

[dawn9476]

Didn't Joseph Smith help himself to about sixteen wives, some under the age of sixteen, and then said Emma Smith couldn't get pissed off because it was a revelation from God? And they BUY it?

I still don't know why they're okay with the fact that the church used to say black people were stained with sin and couldn't become priests. Funny how they 'realised' this was mistranslated after the civil rights movement. I wonder if one day they'll get a revelation that homosexuality isn't a sin and backpedel on their previous stance.

The article does mention how the husband found out information about how Joseph married at least one 14 year old girl against will. Though it is probably not a big deal because marrying a girl that young was not a big deal back then whether you were mormon or not.

[Bloo]

I prefer the story of Joseph Smith, "The American Moses," as told by the Ugandan followers of Arnold Cunningham.

"Joseph Smith

Magical AIDS frog

Brigham Young

Frog on his clit-face!"

[ADoyle90815]

The thing about getting your own planet only applies if you're a dude. If you're a woman, you get to be part of the harem of sister wives your husband gets, which means you'll spend your eternity as a brood mare populating your headship's planet. The husband learns his wife's "new name" in the temple, while she never learns his name, but all who go through the temple in a particular day get the same name, based on gender and being from the Bible at least.

One thing I don't understand is how someone like Gladys Knight could have converted and remain an active member to this day, given the church's racist teachings, which were officially repealed in 1978. I'm sure that if gay marriage became legal, and people quit discriminating against gays and lesbians, it would still take the church years to reverse their views about homosexuality. It might even take the old leaders completely dying off and younger leaders taking their place before that happens.

[B5SnowDog]

Didn't Joseph Smith help himself to about sixteen wives, some under the age of sixteen, and then said Emma Smith couldn't get pissed off because it was a revelation from God? And they BUY it?

I still don't know why they're okay with the fact that the church used to say black people were stained with sin and couldn't become priests. Funny how they 'realised' this was mistranslated after the civil rights movement. I wonder if one day they'll get a revelation that homosexuality isn't a sin and backpedel on their previous stance.

And how the teaching on polygamy changed just in time for Utah to be granted statehood.

[Beammeup]

Do most Mormons really not know about Joseph Smith and his peep stones? I thought that was a well-known part of their origin story (for lack of a better term).

The answer is no, they do no know this version. It is taught that the stones were attached to a breast plate (urimm and Thummin or however it is spelled).

Gonna work my way through this thread answering what I can from my POV as a life long liberal Mormon, who varies between active (current state), less active, and inactive.

[Beammeup]

Is "sacred, not secret" what you're thinking of, Cannelle?

I'm thinking of the phrase "Some things that are true are not very useful" spoken by Boyd K. Packer.

[Beammeup]

He refused to show anyone the golden plates (he said the angel Moroni took them back). I don't know about the stones, though.

Several people gave written testimony that they saw, hefted, and touched the plates. Their testimonies are found in the very front of the Book of Mormon, http://www.lds.org/scriptures/bofm/intr ... n?lang=eng. 3 witnesses write that they saw the plates and an angel. The other 8 witnesses only saw the plates (no angel). Poor Emma never got to see them.

[Beammeup]

Aw, everyone left out the part about the Garden of Eden being in Missouri.

When I was in Missouri with my mom, we both stated that that place was just humid, and there is no way the Garden of Eden was there. My understanding is that the belief has changed from it being the ACTUAL Garden of Eden, to a place where something happened, but I forget what.

As for garments, Yes there are some that think they provide protection. I do not believe that, rather I find the protection is spiritual, meaning I wear my seat belt, the member of my family that is in law enforcement wears their vest, and we see doctors, etc. People who haven't worn garments will think I'm actually nutty when I say this, but honestly I'm cooler with my garments on than with them off. They now are made of high tech fabrics and weaves that wick the moisture away. I think that's a function of the fabric, not any blessing.

Yes, I at times pull mine down and have my bra hold it there. I also have tucked my little cap sleeves into my bra strap. I have a pair altered with a big slit so I can wear them and my spanx. I wear all sorts of funky colored bras with mine. Even in my inactive days, I held onto wearing them, because stopping wearing them is HUGE, and my family would notice. Cowardly maybe, but it fits into my religious views.

Two great articles dealing with the garments are http://www.wham1180.com/pages/boblonsbe ... e=10037569 and http://www.buzzfeed.com/mckaycoppins/a- ... -underwear The first one is a bit madder than the second one. Not breaking the links because they are both blogs on a news media website, and are the first and second hits on google with Mitt Romney underwear. They have had loads of hits.

Oh, and I voting for Mitt? Umm not only no, Hell no.

I'm going to sleep, so I will answer more later if someone else hasn't.

[mirele]

One thing I don't understand is how someone like Gladys Knight could have converted and remain an active member to this day, given the church's racist teachings, which were officially repealed in 1978. I'm sure that if gay marriage became legal, and people quit discriminating against gays and lesbians, it would still take the church years to reverse their views about homosexuality. It might even take the old leaders completely dying off and younger leaders taking their place before that happens.

Prior to 1978, Mormons held to the "one drop" belief--you were "Negro" if you had even "one drop" of African blood (this is similar to Plessy v. Ferguson, where a man with one African-American great-grandmother was held to be "negro"). Even holding aside the fact that our ancestors all come out of Africa, if I'd known before 1978 what I know now about my family history, there's no way I could be Mormon. I remember hearing that the Church had to change its mind for three reasons: 1) the first temple in Brazil was ready to be opened and most of the members couldn't go through because they are mixed-race, 2) Bob Jones University v. IRS was working its way through the lower courts (and the Supreme Court upheld the revocation of the tax exemption in 1982) and 3) Ostensibly white people were doing their genealogies and finding out that their g-g-g-g-grandparents weren't white and it was causing lots of (mostly internalized) consternation. Getting rid of the bar to African-Americans was overdue but such a relief.

[SisiL78]

Prior to 1978, Mormons held to the "one drop" belief--you were "Negro" if you had even "one drop" of African blood (this is similar to Plessy v. Ferguson, where a man with one African-American great-grandmother was held to be "negro"). Even holding aside the fact that our ancestors all come out of Africa, if I'd known before 1978 what I know now about my family history, there's no way I could be Mormon. I remember hearing that the Church had to change its mind for three reasons: 1) the first temple in Brazil was ready to be opened and most of the members couldn't go through because they are mixed-race, 2) Bob Jones University v. IRS was working its way through the lower courts (and the Supreme Court upheld the revocation of the tax exemption in 1982) and 3) Ostensibly white people were doing their genealogies and finding out that their g-g-g-g-grandparents weren't white and it was causing lots of (mostly internalized) consternation. Getting rid of the bar to African-Americans was overdue but such a relief.

That's what gets me, aside from the aggressive conversion mongering, is that they made it sound like G-d himself proclaimed that the rules changed instead of the truth which "Times have changed and we must change our practices to fit with them". Even the Catholic church has been that honest, I don't recall hearing that Vatican II was ordained by G-d but was instead an attempt to keep up with the views and morals of modern society.

I have little issue with the religious beliefs of others until it starts getting into the "let me tell you what you should believe", "you're going to hell if you don't believe XYZ" " you're not good enough due to your religion". There's also the idea that you have to "donate" a large amount of money to stay in G-d's good graces to the church, not even to a charity that you believe in. That's where I start getting the "this is a cult filled with hooey" kind of feeling. Why is it that so many supposed believers ignore the Bible when it says that the righteous of all nations shall have a place in the Kingdom of heaven to come? And also where it defines tithing as basically contributing to society and to the poor, not to the religious hierachy.

I also wish the Mormons, Jehovah's Witnesses, and Jews for Jeebus would compile a do not knock list. Please people, stop coming to my door!