Ex-Mormon /Latter-day saint (LDS) AMA

[Someonesayroadtrip]

I was born into the pretty much Mormon faith (parents converted when I was tiny) and I was fully converted and fully believed. Myself and family had "leadership" positions etc. Feel free to ask me anything.

Might be a small temple though. Where is it?

I'm not in New York City. The church/temple is in a largely rural county about 50 miles north of the city in a very small town. It is built right by a four-lane county road and visible from the road, so perhaps there's a bit of advertising value in the location.

This is the region it's located in:

The Hudson Highlands

Including the value of the property, I'd guess it cost at least $500k to build it. That's a lot for a building that's going to get minimal use.

This is interesting. One of my ancestors was a Mormon bishop in Utah. I read a newspaper article about him and he had 7 wives and got prosecuted for bigamy. I have a lot of living relatives in Utah but do know them.

Can I ask about Family Home Evening? I knew a Mormon family who had an Evening every week where everybody was expected to be home and the whole family from tots to teens were expected to join in activities. Did you do this. Did it work in general or did most families avoid it. I can certainly see some advantages to having a definite date night for the family if it worked? I was invited to one so I suspect it was also used as a means of drawing people in?

This thread is so interesting, thank you for doing it.

I got so obsessed with the idea of Mormonism, via the Mormon Mommy Bloggers and Instagrammers for a few years. Their lives always seemed so… perfect. Like old fashioned, romantic, wholesome, out of a Disney film. I really wanted to convert but DH was not interested at all.

Is there a lot of pressure in the church to look a certain way? Like every Mormon Instagram account I’ve ever seen, even ones without big followings, the people just look so perfect, not overweight, etc.

I still follow a few now, I guess I know it can’t really be like that, but they seem to push that line so hard. Do they believe it themselves, or are they putting on a show?

@shiningstar2

Can I ask about Family Home Evening? I knew a Mormon family who had an Evening every week where everybody was expected to be home and the whole family from tots to teens were expected to join in activities. Did you do this. Did it work in general or did most families avoid it. I can certainly see some advantages to having a definite date night for the family if it worked? I was invited to one so I suspect it was also used as a means of drawing people in?

We used to yes. My father worked away a lot of the time, and this bothered the elders. So much so, that they would just pitch up at our house. Seeing as they were brothers and sisters of the church, I suppose they thought it made the family complete that night.

We called it the Family Meeting. Unfortunately when my parents divorced, a family meeting was called to tell us kids. Here was me thinking it was just another night to sit and speak about what we were grateful for, to pray etc..... to find out it wasn't THAT type of family meeting at all.

@MissConductUS

Might be a small temple though. Where is it?

I'm not in New York City. The church/temple is in a largely rural county about 50 miles north of the city in a very small town. It is built right by a four-lane county road and visible from the road, so perhaps there's a bit of advertising value in the location.

This is the region it's located in:

The Hudson Highlands

Including the value of the property, I'd guess it cost at least $500k to build it. That's a lot for a building that's going to get minimal use.

Quite possibly. Temples usually run into significant millions so it's likely just a church. Like you say possibly just a way of advertising. It's cheaper than a lot of advertising they have done in the past.

@CovidCorvid

This is interesting. One of my ancestors was a Mormon bishop in Utah. I read a newspaper article about him and he had 7 wives and got prosecuted for bigamy. I have a lot of living relatives in Utah but do know them.

Depending on how far back your relative goes it might be one of the breakaway religions. Mainstream Mormonism stopped practicing it one the 1880s. But there are lots of breakaway religions which still practice it.

@shiningstar2

Can I ask about Family Home Evening? I knew a Mormon family who had an Evening every week where everybody was expected to be home and the whole family from tots to teens were expected to join in activities. Did you do this. Did it work in general or did most families avoid it. I can certainly see some advantages to having a definite date night for the family if it worked? I was invited to one so I suspect it was also used as a means of drawing people in?

Yes, Monday nights are family home evening nights. It was a big thing for me growing up and no church meetings are allowed to be held on Mondays. We used to have a lesson, game and snack/treat. Which was what most did.

To be honest I don't think it's so widely practiced now. Monday nights are still reserved for family night but I see less and less families observing it.

With my own children it was just a night we maybe did film and snacks or something similar, I didn't really ever do lessons. Now I haven't got the demands of the religion we have more time for films and games etc.