How are Mormons so nice?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:How hard is it to join the mormon church? Can one hang out with mormons and feel them out for as long as it takes before one makes any commitment?

No. The missionaries are under enormous pressure to convert as many as they can, as soon as they can. They will be re.lent.less until you are converted. They even have a special name for those that they think they have a high likelihood of converting: "golden contacts". If you were to just show up to a sunday service, they (non-missionaries) would still put a lot of pressure on you to convert. Google "Mormon love bombing".

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Related to this topic, I am fascinated by the fact that so many successful bloggers are Mormon.

Stephanie Nielson is a Mormon blogger and one of the most shallow, vile people I've come across.

[Anonymous]

I live in Utah and as a general rule, I don't trust Mormons. Of course there are exceptions. But how could I be friends with someone who sincerely believes I am a heathen?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:How hard is it to join the mormon church? Can one hang out with mormons and feel them out for as long as it takes before one makes any commitment?

No. The missionaries are under enormous pressure to convert as many as they can, as soon as they can. They will be re.lent.less until you are converted. They even have a special name for those that they think they have a high likelihood of converting: "golden contacts". If you were to just show up to a sunday service, they (non-missionaries) would still put a lot of pressure on you to convert. Google "Mormon love bombing".

+1. Don't do this. Seriously. Also, they won't baptize you unless you agree to 1. Obey the Word of Wisdom (no coffee--regular or decaf, caffeinated tea, tobacco, alcohol, or illegal drugs), 2. Follow the Law of Chastity (no sex or anything remotely close outside of marriage, and if you are married, you can expect some serious pressure to get your spouse coverted ASAP) and 3. Pay 10% of your pre-tax income to the Church. You can expect a lengthy, intrusive interview behind closed doors about your personal life by a smug white dude to see if you meet the standards for baptism and some of the questions they'll ask are definitely over the line. You can Google this topic if you're inclined and have time for some interesting reading.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I think there's something to be said for belonging to a strong community with structured events (like a really strong church) in that there's less daily anxiety over certain things--your plans are made for you in many ways and you don't worry about feeling left out or being dragged in a million directions (since your whole circle goes to the same places). So you arrive at work with less stress over the stuff happening on the outside. And you know there are back-ups for things like child care, etc. through that network.

This only works if you're simpleminded and don't question anything.

[Anonymous]

Well, I once had a couple of missionaries come check on me when they thought I was being horribly assaulted. They had been to my door a bit earlier, and I had briefly spoken with them.

Then, a chipmunk had gotten into my house, my cat was chasing it around, and I was screaming my head off while trying to get it out. I was really panicking because I had to leave to go pick up my DD from school, but could not fathom just leaving the cat and the chipmunk at battle.

I appreciated that the young missionaries came to check on me instead of "not wanting to get involved" or whatever.

[Anonymous]

My neighbors are high up in the Mormon church in DC. They act saintly and pious, but they're incredibly rude and inconsiderate neighbors. For instance they have done construction without telling us, blocking our driveway illegally for weeks, dumping construction debris in our yard, etc. we have adjoining yards and I hear the mean and nasty way she talks to her husband and kids while acting like a saint outside the home. Don't buy into appearances. No one is perfect.

[Anonymous]

Not all Mormons are nice. Many that I grew up had huge drug problems. We would joke that the Mormon kids always had the best drugs (coke and acid). I find the religion very oppressive to women (I know, shocking!!). I used to go to Temple/Ward sunday school with one of my Mormon friends. I was horrified by their teachings. (I have always been a devout atheist.)

All that said, I am still very close with one of my Mormon friends from childhood, who wasn't ever into drugs and is just a nice person!

[Anonymous]

my mormon coworker is very "nice" but he is passive aggressive as hell and engages in little power plays all the time. Which he covers up by being very "nice." ugh.

[Anonymous]

There are exceptions to every rule, but overall Mormons are nice and successful because of the values of their community. Every community has collective values and it has an impact on how a large majority of the population approaches life and behaves.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:There are exceptions to every rule, but overall Mormons are nice and successful because of the values of their community. Every community has collective values and it has an impact on how a large majority of the population approaches life and behaves.

Values like gays are going to hell, anyone who disagrees with our faith is a heathen, and Woman need to put their families/husbands before themselves?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I live in Utah and as a general rule, I don't trust Mormons. Of course there are exceptions. But how could I be friends with someone who sincerely believes I am a heathen?

I can understand not trusting them. I do think that they are always looking to convert you. I don't care though if they think I am a heathen because I think they belong to a cult.

Also did you know they never try to convert Catholics. Catholicism is a-ok to Mormons.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:There are exceptions to every rule, but overall Mormons are nice and successful because of the values of their community. Every community has collective values and it has an impact on how a large majority of the population approaches life and behaves.

Values like gays are going to hell, anyone who disagrees with our faith is a heathen, and Woman need to put their families/husbands before themselves?

They also believe AA/Black people are the descendants of Cain. Totally racist! That's why my mind was truly blown when I met my first AA Mormon.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I have known a group of Mormon lawyers for almost a decade and not one has ever gossiped, shirked work, boasted, been caught in a lie, or lost their temper to my knowledge. I have been to their houses, met their wives, worked closely with them on miserable cases with long days, late nights, and awful colleagues. I have seen them each under extreme pressure and in unfair situations. Yet, they have been unfailingly kind, patient, calm, and good.

How is this possible?

There is literally no one else I have ever known who has kept up such exemplary behavior for even a week. Not even other religious people I know (who profess to have the "joy of the Lord" and other such nonsense, but are worse than most athiests and agnostics who profess no such moral standards).

I don't have a religious bone in my body, but I would love to learn how to maintain such exemplary behavior. I would also love to teach it to my kids.

Do they promote all lawyers equally or give preference to other Mormons?

My question to OP got buried and I still want to know.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:There are exceptions to every rule, but overall Mormons are nice and successful because of the values of their community. Every community has collective values and it has an impact on how a large majority of the population approaches life and behaves.

Values like gays are going to hell, anyone who disagrees with our faith is a heathen, and Woman need to put their families/husbands before themselves?

Don't forget their racist past!

"for much of its history—from the mid-1800s until 1978—the Church did not ordain men of black African descent to its priesthood or allow black men or women to participate in temple endowment or sealing ordinances."

https://www.lds.org/topics/race-and-the-priesthood?lang=eng