Was at an airport in a prominent tourist destination. A man from Utah (he made this point immediately) started a conversation with two women who were born and raised in Jerusalem. The man almost immediately asks the women: “Have you been to the BYU Jerusalem center?” Both women clearly had no idea what he was talking about. He brings an image of it up on his phone. They still say they have no idea what it is. The man begins rambling about it and its connection to religion and scripture and how wonderful it is and how he is “very surprised” they don’t know what it is.

His further conversation with them was of course laced with every possible reference to the Mormon church….his family, missionaries, temple, etc. I could tell the women were not comfortable with any of it.

Really hit home how clueless Mormons are and what a vacuum they live in. This guy couldn’t comprehend how people didn’t know what BYU Jerusalem was. Buddy, I hate to break it to you, but your religion is non-existent outside of your Utah bubble.

Edit: He later asks them, in all seriousness, “So where are you headed for your next vacation? Utah?” 🤪

If anything will be done about it remains to be seen, still it's nice to be vindicated

I was born into a Mormon family, I'm 17 now and I don't believe in the church but I play along so my parents don't get mad at me. My dad and uncles are hardcore Mormons but my aunt isn't a Mormon, she had sex before marriage, drinks coffee, and quit the church when she was 18. We were at a family gathering and every time she sat in the living room with everyone else, my dad would for some reason bring up the topic about the gospel and basically was trying to somehow prove that my aunt was wrong for leaving the church. He would keep bringing up about how miserable non members he knew were and how staying in the church was good for you. I felt really bad for my aunt and felt like he was being a dick to her. My dad's really kind to his own kids and wife, but seeing him treating his own sister like shit cause she was a non member made me wonder if all Mormons are just assholes to non members, he's incredibly homophobic, hates piercings, and hates anything different and emo. I just want to know if all your Mormon parents or friends were this insufferable ☹️

Jk. They probably could.

Just capitalizing on any chance I get to dress as least Mormon-y as possible these days.

To the women taught we could be walking pornography, endowed with the power from on high to control the thoughts and actions of men:

Fuck
That
Shit.

Our shoulders and legs and stomachs and clavicles deserve to be seen and shown and treasured and valued exactly as much as we do or do not wish. This decision, of displaying skin in celebration of our bodies? May it forevermore be ours and ours alone.

“My body may be a temple but I am the god to whom it is devoted. Do not presume to tell me how I may decorate my altar.”

(Edit: Reddit. I beg of you. Please install the feature to edit post titles, at least once, after they are posted. “ . . . they MAY take our [shoulders]. MAY.”)

25 years ago we did.

I haven’t heard of one at the church for a long time .. seems like it is less of a thing now?

I don't believe in the church at all but I still go to church and mutual, to keep my parents happy. I honestly don't mind going to the church, what bothers me the most is when my mom takes out money from my account every paycheck I get for tithing. I don't argue with her about it since it's always a losing battle but one day I jokingly asked her, "If I need to be a full tithe payer to get my temple recommendation, isn't the temple a paid access area?" I meant this as a joke but my mom went absolute psycho on me and took my phone and grounded me. She told me it was a blessing to pay my tithing and the temple wasn't paid access at all. I genuinely don't understand how it's not a paid access thing, please explain 😭 🙏

edit: pretty ironic the typo in my title. sigh. . . wrote this as my entire body is lit up with rage. didn't have time to check for mistakes

I came here to rant. I'm just feeling completely outraged. I don't even know what to do with this anger. I haven't expressed it, and I'm afraid to because, it feels like once I let the lid off, i'm not sure how to get it back on.

Hi, I'm ex-mo now 10 years. I left pretty early. I remember being in primary class, doubting everything they were saying. It didn't make sense. Regurgitated thoughts that lacked substance. When I asked questions no one could seem to answer me properly. Early on I pretty much accepted it was a scam. I left at 13 years old. My parents continue to be Mormon. That's the can of worms I'm not ready to open.

Because you see, due to life circumstances I am back at my parents house after not living with them since I was 17. They have cameras all over their home, and I probably don't need to expand on that. I unfortunately have nowhere else to go at the moment. Despite me repeating to them, I will NEVER believe in their church, I have my own religious beliefs, they don't respect it. My dad will tell me I will get lost in the FIRES of the old worlds. Like shut the fuck up.

I had a near death experience pretty young as well. That confirmed to me what I have always known. That , ALL OF IT IS BULLSHIT.

Not to mention what mormon settlers did to the Timpanogos people. I don't know what to do with all this anger. I see my parents, and I don't see them. I see ignorant, stupid people who can so easily fall for a cult. Not brave enough to leave it even though my dad is aware it's all fake.

I am native, and my other size of my family is colonizer white people. I have to reckon with being both in my lineage.
I hate them. I hate them.

I hate what my parents have done to our family, they are so blind. So fucking blind. They consistently choose a religion, over their own children.

I'm also QUEER AS FUCK and it's so obvious yet I feel so trapped in their control and shame they try to put me in. I want to leave and never speak to them again. It is suffocating. Fuck Joseph smith. Masonic conman.

Fuck that fat fuck young and what he did to the men women and children of the Timpanogos people. FUCK BYU for still withholding their ancestral things in that dingy stupid museum that no one EVEN goes to. They are so evil.

This is poorly worded It's late and i'm just so angry.

I know there are other perspectives I could have. The anger doesn't feel good when I'm so stuck where I'm at. In their stupid control center where they try to use emotional manipulation and withholding of love to make me return to their cult. NOT happening. Just so confused as to why they couldn't just love the humans they created. Even if they happened to be more intelligent than them. Instead, just not deserving of love. Just a weak sinner, in their eyes.

I was just reading something and it got me thinking about the few things that we were allowed to do as kids but weren’t supposed to tell anyone in church about. My grandmother (who I grew up with) was an absolute true believer and super Mormon. We followed all of the basic rules with the exception of a couple of Words of Wisdom guidelines. My grandmother was diabetic, so fast Sunday was out. Which meant we could all skip it. Granny loved her Tab, which was a diet soda with major caffeine. Again, it was hard to find diet soda that she liked, and so her medical condition allowed it. The rest of us drinking diet Mountain Dew was therefore allowed. This was the seventies, water was not a beverage anyone considered 😂

There’s one more that isn’t so much a rule as it just seemed to me at the time to be completely hypocritical, especially since I wasn’t allowed to go watch the movie Grease when it came out in the theaters. I did see it, but that’s not the point. I had a strict bedtime, so that Granny could stay up and watch Benny Hill. Granny immigrated from England when she was fifteen, and I’m sure it made her feel closer to her birthplace. However, Benny Hill often had women in bikinis and sometimes topless. It was just a lot of misogynistic jokes, and sometimes actually funny stuff too. Now it’s funny to think about, but got me wondering, what kinds of things were you guys allowed to do growing up that were not exactly approved by the Church?

This time from 2011. You can see other examples here, here, here, and here, as well as a report on active oil/gas drilling on church owned lands in Colorado. Don’t forget that the church also uses service missionaries to support its fossil fuel interests.

Y'all my dad watched this movie called "The Amish Stud" and the plot revolves around a man pressuring his wife to break Amish rules around sex (specifically oral sex). He started going off about how weird and restrictive it is and that, "at least the church isn't that bad" 😐 I mentioned the letter and he tried brushing it off with classics like, "well, it was part of the culture" and "maybe it was just taught incorrectly on the local level".

Does anyone know where it could be found on the church's website, if at all? I thought I'd check here first before I waste my time since it's such a maze.

I was able to find the original document online, but you know how these things go. It's not a credible source unless it's on the (definitely impartial) church's website 🤪

I was born a Mormon and raised by hardcore Mormon parents. I play along, going to church and mutual because I know if I refuse they'll just make my life even more miserable. But one day I was in priesthood class and someone was teaching a lesson I didn't even bother to listen to. I wasn't acting rude or mean I was simply just quiet the entire time because I genuinely had nothing to say about the lesson. My bishop asked all of us what we thought about the lesson and I just shrugged saying, "It was alright" this made my Bishop frown slightly and later that day my parents sat me down and asked me if I believed in the gospel. I was confused, I played along going to church every Sunday, going to mutual and seminary what did I do wrong? Until I realized my damn bishop apparently told my parents I was bored in class and was worried about my faith. Somehow being quiet and not adding anything to the discussion made my Bishop wonder if I was unfaithful, he's not wrong I don't believe in the church but I found it so stupid that he would tell my parents that there was something wrong with me, cause I said the lesson was "alright". I thought doing the bare minimum was fine but no! Apparently I have to be a goody too shoes Mormon boy to satisfy my bishop and parents. I kinda wanted to vent and know what you guys did in situations like these.

I don’t want to cause family drama so I figured I would share and vent here….

I attended a family reunion recently. All of my family besides my husband and myself are still very active members. A family member shared this story about one of our ancestors.

My great great great grandfather was a polygamist. He and his 3 wives left salt lake and moved to California during the gold rush. Brigham Young commanded the saints to come back to salt lake. My great great great grandmother left her husband and his other wives to “follow the prophet” and came back to salt lake where she later remarried. Out of the three wives, her line has significantly more descendants.

My family member then went on to say that it was because she followed the prophet that her line is so large. Queue eye roll.

I really wanted to comment that I guess my line is just going to dry up then because I won’t be following any prophet anytime soon. Anyway, just overall frustrating that they talk about the church all the time and have little to no regard to how that impacts those of us that are no longer members.

Also, why the obsession with having a lot of descendants? I really do not care if I have direct descendants in a few generations.

My entire side left the church, her entire side left the church, many of her friends have left.

I feel like it's the opposite situation of a lot of people posting here.

It's been years and years but she keeps hanging on.

She feels pretty lonely and judged. She feels like a weirdo sometimes. Not because anyone says anything, everyone's nice to her, but there's that invisible barrier there.

I know cults also make you feel that when you're with outsiders too.

We live in Utah so there can be quite a lot of silent animosity between mormons and exmos. If you live here you know what I mean.

I think she can feel everyone waiting with bated breath for her to snap out of it one day.

She's not too intensely mormon or anything, she doesn't want to bother people if they don't want to be bothered about church stuff.

Anyone else in this situation? I would be interested in hearing your stories about it. It's a bit maddening for me sometimes but I'll just keep patiently waiting for now.

I emailed Salt Lake City wanting my records removed and no more contact from the cult. Later that day, I got a email not from Salt Lake, but for my Bishop and STake presidency saying they wanted to meet with me about my email. I responded saying please respect my wishes I remove my membership. They followed up saying we want to meet with you tomorrow night.

This email was sent Tuesday on Wednesday even though I never confirmed that I was meeting with them. They still called me over and over again sending me voice messages asking me to meet with them.

Has this ever happened to you before where it is so hard to leave a church that teaches agency for all people and you can do what you want?

Adam/God. Blood Atonement. Black's the seed of the Devil. Black's descendants of Cain & Ham. Blacks being Black because of Cain. Not getting the priesthood until the end of the Millennium. Black's not getting the priesthood until all the descendants able born. Blacks being slothful fence sitters in the pre-existence. The Blood oaths & death oaths in the Temple. The Adam God taught in the temple. Marring 7 other men's wives while they were still married to someone else & calling it rightness & the will of God. Making slavery of Blacks & Native Americans. Telling Elder's to take Lamanites as concubines, so that their children can become white, to fulfill prophecy . Having a Native American slave concubine, who lived in the basement with hired help. Having a secret army withing the army in Utah of former Nauvoo Legion with a church military rank & 5th column military orders from the prophet. Nephite cave in hill Cummorah. That Joseph Smith & many leaders of the church were descendants of Jesus. That That people have to get Joe's permission to get into Heaven. That Elohim made Jesus the good old fashion way with Mary. That 6ft tall Quakers live on the Moon & Sun. That Polygamy is a requirement. That slavery & servitude on Earth is a good thing because it's the way & law in heaven. And that slavehood here helps you learn have to be a good servant in Heaven. That Jesus was a polygamist. That Joseph Smith meet Adam in the Holy of Hollies in the Kirtland temple after dedication. The Interracial Marriage is a sin so great that the atonement can't pay the price. That Black's hair, nose & lips are part of the curse of Cain. That Cain was BigFoot & couldn't be killed. Putting a cross dressing son who sang as a Madame in a bar in charge of the entire Aaronic Priesthood. Sealing a slave to Joe as his servant in Heaven!!!
I say, putting his cross dressing son who sang as a Madame in a bar in charge of the entire Aaronic Priesthood, was Brigham's greatest humanitarian act. He was woke far earlier than the rest of the church.

Kia ora everyone. I wanted to share an update here for the ex-Mormon community. As a fellow cult survivor, I know how complex and challenging it can be to walk away from a high-demand religion, deconstruct ingrained beliefs, and navigate the social and family fallout that so often follows. I volunteer with the team hosting Decult here in Aotearoa New Zealand, and I wanted to let you know about an upcoming gathering focused on post-cult recovery, healing, and education.

On 24 and 25 October 2026, we are holding the second Decult conference ("Voices of Courage: Pathways to Healing and Justice") in Ōtautahi Christchurch, with a full global livestream available online. The programme focuses heavily on coercive control, religious trauma, and post-cult recovery, bringing together survivors, researchers, and trauma-informed mental health clinicians. One of our core aims is upskilling therapists and professionals so they better understand the realities of spiritual abuse and high-control dynamics.

Whether you are living in Australasia or joining us online from North America or anywhere else, you are very welcome. You can check out the full schedule, speaker updates, and livestream tickets atdecult.net/conference-2026/. Wishing you all strength and peace as you build your lives on your own terms.

Ever since leaving, I’ve realized even more how crazy this church is. I used to baptize myself for dead people??

And I’ve started becoming judgmental of my still believing family. How can they believe that a church that forces 12 year olds to talk alone in a room with a 50 year old man who has power over her, about masturbation, is true?? How do people actually believe Joseph smith was a good person? And that God talks to them? It all feels ridiculous to me and it gets more and more ridiculous the more I think about it.

I know it’s wrong but I’ve started struggling with thinking that I’m better than members, or smarter than them. Idk how to get rid of this thinking. Am I the problem or do others struggle with this as well?

Cale Strong, son of "Torn" author Jeff Strong has given an interesting interview on the nuanced faithful podcast "Parrish the Thought." In the 74-minute interview Cale provides a few anecdotes about the MTC, not going on his mission, coming home, his family's reaction, ward members' reactions and general observations about church culture and ultimately resolving issues with his family. The host of the podcast (Brian Keith Parrish) also tells a few of his own family stories during the conversation.

One anecdote from the podcast: Cale spent one year at Stanford and was on the track team before going to the MTC. In his first year at Stanford, Cale had a hip injury and left the track team (but not because of the injury).

Cale mentions at his MTC intake interview, he told the interviewer that he did not want to go on his mission to Japan. The intake interviewer left the room to pray and returned to tell Cale that the spirit told him if Cale went on the mission, his hip would be healed during the mission and he would be able to join the track team on his return. (!!??)

Cale comes off as a very sincere person who really cares about people. I look forward to hearing more of his story on additional interviews.

Anybody have any funny bishops stories/interview questions?

Before I got married, my (now ex) wife and I were having issues with the law of chastity (because we are human and that’s what our natural bodies want to do), so we were frequenting the bishops office. When we got close to the end, right before we were going to get married, he gave us a bunch of unsolicited sex advice and tips and tricks on positions, etc. it’s absolutely crazy they’ll just let completely un qualified men be responsible over people and young adults in such crucial times in their lives. While I believe there are good people in the church, this should not ever be a topic of discussion. Thank god my kids will never go through this.

This honestly made my blood boil. Sent to 12-18 year olds. Reads like the Nancy Rigdon happiness letter. “Ignore your intuition, what might look false is true. Satan is trying to deceive you. Who can you really trust anyway?!? Here’s some optical illusions that will help you distrust your gut when you see things that CLEARLY show you the church isn’t true…”

Hey MFMC…if your church was true you wouldn’t this absolute horseshit in your youth magazine. Freaking cult garbage. Ughhhhh.