Ex-Mormon Missionaries

[_Boaz & Lidia]

Kind of like the bank telling a new homeowner that their payment will only be $1500/month for this beautiful $500K home.

When the borrower asks, "I've been informed and read on the internet that my payment will double in three years, please tell me about this?"

Bank: "Ahhhh that is just not TRUE! And even if it were it would be the worst case. Why would you trust information from the internet? Don't you know it was landlords who built that to keep people like you paying rent?"

Borrower: "Really? I also read that part of the interest for those three years is being ADDED to the mortgage balance, so my home could be worth less than I owe?"

Bank: "Look, if you want to know about us why would you ask someone else? As to your interest, yes.. perhaps a little will be added, but I guarantee you home will rise in value, well above any accumulated interest."

Borrower: "Why won't you give me a full disclosure on this financial transaction before I sign?"

Bank: "There are things that you won't understand until AFTER you commit to this, so just trust me and sign!"


Kim is just being a good fellow human and watching out for others by letting them know the full truth before they mortgage their life and quite possibly their posterity to LDS Inc.

Bottom line, Kim is a better person than the Mormon missionaries as she has their well being in mind. The missionaries only care about numbers.

[_Mike Reed]

This winter season I plan to tour the malls and elementary schools of my area, and let kids know that there is no such thing as Santa Clause. I feel the obligation to share with them what I know to be true.

[_amantha]

Is there anything you offer, aside from a counter-explanation? In other words, your work appears to be in preventing, breaking down, etc. Is there a positive message you offer? (I realize some believe that a lack of Mormonism is positive.)

An ounce of prevention...

[_amantha]

Is there anything you offer, aside from a counter-explanation? In other words, your work appears to be in preventing, breaking down, etc. Is there a positive message you offer? (I realize some believe that a lack of Mormonism is positive.)

Loap, I'm glad you asked this (I'm sure KA has a strong opinion on this as well).

I was taught by the Mormon church that it is evil to be a "faith destroyer". In other words, to destroy one's faith (in their mormom beliefs) and leave them with nothing in return - it's not kind.

However, sometimes we confuse this term with simply being a "messenger" or "consumer advocate". I believe Mormonism is a fraud (it's not a full disclosure philosophy). It's best in my opinion to warn people not to invest there. Ultimately it brought me a negative return. I hate to see people suffer like myself (and my family) have these past few years.

Again, this doesn't answer my question. If you notice, I bracketed the truth claims of the Church. See my comment "I realize some believe that a lack of Mormonism is positive."

So warning is fine, but is there anything positive offered, as well? Is there any cause, ideology, worldview, which you, or any Mormon critic here advances?

Sorry I am responding to the oldest posts but I just had to respond to this line of thinking because I hear it all the time. What is not positive about prevention if you believe it is warranted? If you can prevent colon cancer by receiving vital information before the cancer develops, what could be more important than that? Now, as with colon polyps, Mormonism may not develop into a cancerous mindset for everyone, but it would still be important to know that you have a choice of removing those polyps early on. Being informed about parts of a religion with which you would disagree had you known of their existence, grants freedom of choice.

That is very positive.

Some physicians offer a preventitive approach to healthcare and some offer the knife. Take your pick, but you can't choose prevention if you are not informed well in advance of the onset of disease. Again, Mormonism is a blessing to some and a disease to others--but being informed levels the playing field and gives you the power of choice--VERY VERY POSITIVE and I applaud KA for her efforts.

[_Mike Reed]

Some physicians offer a preventitive approach to healthcare and some offer the knife. Take your pick, but you can't choose prevention if you are not informed well in advance of the onset of disease. Again, Mormonism is a blessing to some and a disease to others--but being informed levels the playing field and gives you the power of choice--VERY VERY POSITIVE and I applaud KA for her efforts.

But what if it turns out that they are being cured of their disease by taking a mere placebo? There is a great deal of evidence showing that faith placebos (at least on a minimal level) work. To destroy their faith by revealing to a patient that they are actually taking a mere salt tablet... that information (although true) may turn out to actually kill them.

[_KimberlyAnn]

Some physicians offer a preventitive approach to healthcare and some offer the knife. Take your pick, but you can't choose prevention if you are not informed well in advance of the onset of disease. Again, Mormonism is a blessing to some and a disease to others--but being informed levels the playing field and gives you the power of choice--VERY VERY POSITIVE and I applaud KA for her efforts.

But what if it turns out that they are being cured of their disease by taking a mere placebo? There is a great deal of evidence showing that faith placebos (at least on a minimal level) work. To destroy their faith by revealing to a patient that they are actually taking a mere salt tablet... that information (although true) may turn out to actually kill them.

There are less dangerous placebos than Mormonism, in my opinion. But, if it works for people, that's fine by me.

The folks I speak to are members who have already discovered they may be taking a placebo--they question enough to call a known apostate and ask questions. Should I lie to them? I couldn't possibly do that! I already mentioned in an earlier post that I let them take the lead in our "discussions" and don't press them one way or another, other than to tell them, if they decide to leave Mormonism, that they will be fine in the long run, though it's tough going at first. I do not see how that even remotely compares to wandering malls informing small children that Santa isn't real. Good grief.

I have left information for folks who are not members but who are getting incomplete information from missionaries. They can do with my information what they please. The missionaries have already contacted them and told them they don't have the full truth and that their church isn't good enough, or that their lives aren't complete without Mormonism, so I don't see the harm in providing them information so that they may make a more informed decision. I'm not trolling the streets handing out anti-Mormon pamphlets to anyone who will take them. Again, I don't see the tie in with your Santa analogy.

Have fun at the mall.

KA

[_Boaz & Lidia]

This winter season I plan to tour the malls and elementary schools of my area, and let kids know that there is no such thing as Santa Clause. I feel the obligation to share with them what I know to be true.

Very funny but very fitting since most Mormons have the mindset of a six year old.

[_hypatia]

My now deceased husband did not want to go on a mission. When he fessed up to his parents, his mother told him she wished he had never been born, his father yelled at him. It was a terrible night at that home. My husband was the oldest grandchild, the oldest child; his pioneer family had settled part of Northern Utah at the direction of Brigham Young. It was not "if" you go on a mission, it was always "when" you go on a mission.

Needless to say, he went on his mission. Due to "health" issues, he came home a year early. He never really got over the sense of failure and disappointment expressed by most members of his family; he was running just as fast as he could for the rest of his life to prove he was of worth. For the next 35 years of his life, he was constantly looking through the rear-view.

Very sad.

[_amantha]

But what if it turns out that they are being cured of their disease by taking a mere placebo? There is a great deal of evidence showing that faith placebos (at least on a minimal level) work. To destroy their faith by revealing to a patient that they are actually taking a mere salt tablet... that information (although true) may turn out to actually kill them.

Sure. Mormonism is very effective for some. I guess the ones who are benefiting due to the placebo effect will lose out if they find out, but that's just the breaks. There are many who would receive great benefit from disbelieving Mormonism, but because they are shielded by many layers of protection and in many cases, fear and guilt, they may never benefit from leaving Mormonism. It can go both ways.

I can see how truly believing in certain things--things that I no longer believe in, could bring advantages and comforts, but I personally prefer to know all sides of the story. I suppose those who want to know all sides will appreciate the information that KA is offering them and those who would rather maintain their current belief or opinion will opt to throw the material away before being "infected" by it and destroying their placebo effect.

This is what my spouse does. S/he chooses to look away in order to maintain belief. The belief is perceived as beneficial and so s/he does not want to challenge that perspective. S/he may be correct in that choice.

[_Mike Reed]

This winter season I plan to tour the malls and elementary schools of my area, and let kids know that there is no such thing as Santa Clause. I feel the obligation to share with them what I know to be true.

Very funny but very fitting since most Mormons have the mindset of a six year old.

You aren't talking s*%t about my Mom are you? ;)