I never got to choose to become mormon…

Hey All,

50 something here, still deconstructing. This hit me the other day… I never had the opportunity to freely choose to become Mormon. I was born into it. I was programmed and groomed into it by a finely tuned machine: parents, teachers, leaders, peers, college professors, all of that.

Recently something came in the mail. It was a postcard from a neighbor, showing a picture of their beautiful 8 y/o child all dressed in white, a beaming smiling, with the invitation: “come celebrate with us as XXXX makes a covenant to be like Jesus”. It shook me. I was angry, because this child has no choice whatsoever to decline this covenant. And it’s not just because this child is only 8 years old. All through the grooming process its the same non-choice for everyone no matter their age. I had no real/honest opportunity to refuse to go to seminary, no real opportunity to decline to serve a mission, no real choice to refuse temple covenants. Sure, once I was already inside the temple, surrounded by family, holding that stupid packet, and before I even knew what I’d be promising or that I’d be swearing a death oath, the audio voice invited me to withdraw. Really?! That’s even more manipulative because it made me think for decades that I really had chosen this.

Anyway, shout out to my therapist who has helped me to see the reality of all of this. Although I never got to choose to become a Mormon, I did get to choose to become an ex-Mormon, and for that I am truly grateful.

Edit for grammar