NOM

“… The combined income from all of these business interests is relatively small... Relative to what? Assuming you don't play their game, but include their investments along with the pioneer era businesses, they exceed all other churches, so I guess we have to look at it relative to national treasur...

I'm trying to get into my former TBM justification mode on these statements, but they are making it hard! It seems like this kind of write up by the church is short-sighted. It may win some battles, but it is so obviously dishonest that it's going to lose them the war. "The majority of financial res...

The second sign of a Cult, (yes, I'm going to use that word) is it will demand, or coerce, or manipulate however it can, loyalty to the cult/personality over loyalty to the family. My family happily put more importance on my relationship with church than my relationship with them. Family was there ...

No trek-aged kids in the Linked home yet, but it's coming too soon. Any tips for keeping kids safe and less indoctrinated by it all?

What a depressing mission story. Middle of nowhere Idaho for 2 years with a highlight of baptizing a member kid, that poor young man. What a waste. I also attended church this week, there must be something in the water for all of us to go on the same week... I was happily distracted by watching Team...

Coercion can occur when a leader compels a child using religious language or authority that implies a spiritual obligation or duty , permission, sanction, punishment, justification, intimidation, or threat. This is contrary to the Savior’s teaching that individuals should lead “only by persuasion, ...

Yeah, but it is still impossible to meet their demands. No one, no matter how desperately they try, can exercise absolute control over the lives of their children and their children's children, who also must pay the mob boss for their entire lives to buy the promised protection. So, chances are alm...

Preach Hagoth. This perspective is difficult to come to from the inside though. It seems so positive, that God made it so we can be together! The assumption here is that families would be scattered apart by Satan or nature without God's kind plan. But it's God's plan, not Satan's, and it includes se...

Happy Father's Day!

I supported my family at sacrament meeting, but to celebrate the day played retro video games on my phone the whole time. And accidently pulled the hair of the lady in front of me. I could have sworn it was not attached to her head.

Oof, that sounds rough. Those 2 questions were in the wrong direction for that lesson unfortunately. Any lively discussion on the subject has to be about finding creative justification to wear them even more or a random coincidence that sounds deep like someone in a fire getting no burns under their...

Sounds like a good resolution to the situation. Enjoy your time with your fam!

I went through this a couple times with my kids. Ultimately I recognized that they were going to be baptized regardless of what I did, and I would prefer that they have that memory with me instead of someone else. Doing otherwise felt like ceding my role as my kid's spiritual leader to others. So I ...

Thanks for sharing, this hits home.

I wish that they would double down on the crazy and fully embrace it to push out all the sane people. Maybe reinstate polygamy. Or canonize "Visions of Glory". Or ban meat again. Get more homophobic and racist and misogynistic to wake people up.

Some bishops are good at preemptively cornering you in such a way that saying no feels more and more uncomfortable. Whenever I think of names yours keeps coming up again and again. I talked to everyone in the ward and they think that you would be the perfect fit. God wants you to do this. This is t...

Let me know when you figure those questions out, I'd like to know too. Your situation sounds just like mine. I like the phrase "I was raised mormon" to describe my position with the church. It's not quite accurate probably since I continue to be involved on the edge of the community, but it's short ...

Congrats Sparky! There may be a few times your lack of calling gets called into question, remember the various ways to say no and pick your favorite! Let me get back to you on that. I can't help with that right now. You may want to check the magic 8 ball again. No Keep offering emotional support for...

Thanks RR, it was getting harder and harder to ignore comments unsuited for NOM and find the good ones. It's a tough call to silence someone, but in this case I think it was the right choice in order to keep NOM what it is.

Learn your own triggers and recognize your own emotional level and take the few deep breaths. If you can’t get the emotional level down, ask for a breather and to talk later. ... When people are upset is when things get said that sometimes can’t be taken back, so recognize when you or they get defe...

Way to go Sparky! That's huge! The church culture trains us to agree to everything and to ignore our frustration when a church leader is shockingly demanding. It's a journey to notice the frustration, then to not feel like it's our fault, and then to say no. Sometimes when it is difficult for me I f...