Does this sound like someone we know?

[huckelberry]

I am curious as to how many people think of an exmormon community. The idea is rather strange to me. I had a long time friend who was exmormon but none of our mutual friends or community were exmormon or Mormon of any kind. I am aware of a few other people who left the church but I have had only limited contact with them. Some thirty years after stopping any church participation of belief I did start post on message board. I hadn't thought of ZLMB as an exmormon community however. But perhaps posting on a message board is what someone means by exmormon community.

On the other hand perhaps it is a thing in Utah.

The people I have some awareness that they left the church are a variety of people. Some responsible successful. Some pretty regular and a few handled the chaos with difficulty and were injured by bad choices.

[msnobody]

I think it is multi-faceted. Back when I was posting on ZLMB, I’d also less frequently venture over to Recovery From Mormonism discussion board. It was like the folks on exmormon.org were oblivious to ZLMB or that questioning and/or former Mormons would want to discuss Mormon history, Mormonism, interact with current members, mopologists, etc. I did have the privilege of attending a meetup of posters from Recovery From Mormonism discussion board in the southeastern US years ago. We met as Joseph Smith party of 7+/-, and had a great time. Even with the meetup, ZLMBers and DM’ers became this never-Mormon’s former Mormon community.

Some of the factors I see as playing into it is a person's temperament, whether they were BIC, from pioneer stock, converts, and/or parents from any of those. Here in the southeast, I mostly encounter either converts, or children of converts, who leave and pretty much never look back, and integrate with non-Mormons easily.

[Imwashingmypirate]

They sound quite well spoken for a 19 year old. I don't see anything wrong with the posts. I don't think there is anything wrong with this person sharing this opinion or seeing things this way. It is their perception. I wouldn't be sitting picking holes in a post unless it struck a nerve.

I also think most people from all backgrounds tend to follow someone or something.

[Res Ipsa]

I am curious as to how many people think of an exmormon community. The idea is rather strange to me. I had a long time friend who was exmormon but none of our mutual friends or community were exmormon or Mormon of any kind. I am aware of a few other people who left the church but I have had only limited contact with them. Some thirty years after stopping any church participation of belief I did start post on message board. I hadn't thought of ZLMB as an exmormon community however. But perhaps posting on a message board is what someone means by exmormon community.

On the other hand perhaps it is a thing in Utah.

The people I have some awareness that they left the church are a variety of people. Some responsible successful. Some pretty regular and a few handled the chaos with difficulty and were injured by bad choices.

I think of ex-Mormon community as a temporary stop-over that some people need to help them transition from Mormonism to whatever comes next. High demand groups, including some religious groups, tend to become central to one's sense of identity and community. Losing that can be painful and disorienting for some folks. High demand groups tend to have organized groups of former members because the process of leaving can be difficult. You an find groups for former JW's, Assemblies of God, high demand evangelical groups, scientology, etc.

But it's hard to form a group that is stable over time around something its members used to be. Groups naturally coalesce around common interests -- not former common interests. So, folks tend to move away from groups of "formers" to groups built around some kind of common interest. I think it's the nature of the beast. I posted at RfM for several years, long ago in galaxy far, far away. I dropped in there recently, and didn't recognize most folks.

I think this group is kind of unique in that it's built mainly around relationships that have developed over the course of years. People seem to hang out here because they like to interact with the folks here regardless of former Mormon identity. I see it as a community of folks who like to hang out together, many of whom used to be Mormon, as opposed to an "ex-Mormon community."

[msnobody]

I think of ex-Mormon community as a temporary stop-over that some people need to help them transition from Mormonism to whatever comes next. High demand groups, including some religious groups, tend to become central to one's sense of identity and community. Losing that can be painful and disorienting for some folks. High demand groups tend to have organized groups of former members because the process of leaving can be difficult. You an find groups for former JW's, Assemblies of God, high demand evangelical groups, scientology, etc.

But it's hard to form a group that is stable over time around something its members used to be. Groups naturally coalesce around common interests -- not former common interests. So, folks tend to move away from groups of "formers" to groups built around some kind of common interest. I think it's the nature of the beast. I posted at RfM for several years, long ago in galaxy far, far away. I dropped in there recently, and didn't recognize most folks.

I think this group is kind of unique in that it's built mainly around relationships that have developed over the course of years. People seem to hang out here because they like to interact with the folks here regardless of former Mormon identity. I see it as a community of folks who like to hang out together, many of whom used to be Mormon, as opposed to an "ex-Mormon community."

I completely agree.

[Marcus]

They sound quite well spoken for a 19 year old. I don't see anything wrong with the posts. I don't think there is anything wrong with this person sharing this opinion or seeing things this way. It is their perception. I wouldn't be sitting picking holes in a post unless it struck a nerve.

I also think most people from all backgrounds tend to follow someone or something.

It is very unlikely that they are 19. See the references above re: similarities to Rosebud posts.

[Physics Guy]

Mormonism is an interesting phenomenon from several points of view, apart from any personal connection one might have or have had to it. For some people who leave the LDS church, the abstract interest can remain long after personal issues with the religion have been settled.

I think this may be how these message boards differ from online communities defined as "ex-Mormon" or as being for recovery from Mormonism. The focus here is on discussing Mormonism, rather than on recovering from it.

[Kishkumen]

I can see the source of frustration, but then I think of the positive influence that Lindsay Hansen Park has. The question I have is how she can be so important and yet those complaining of the ex-Mo patriarchy miss her entirely. She strikes me as being the single most important and influential post-Mormon person of all.

[Doctor CamNC4Me]

I can see the source of frustration, but then I think of the positive influence that Lindsay Hansen Park has. The question I have is how she can be so important and yet those complaining of the ex-Mo patriarchy miss her entirely. She strikes me as being the single most important and influential post-Mormon person of all.

Why is that?

- Doc

[High Spy]

Lindsay Hansen Park

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=5oDm6A30bao part 3 of 8.

How many wives does it take . . . ?