I am not exaggerating when I say that the Mormons here in Colorado are nothing like the Mormons used to be. Not cocky in their chokehold on truth or self righteous or convinced of their superior rightness or excited to do anything. They seem like they are in a funk. I know that sounds like I am generalizing, but no one has any of the old Fire I grew up with. People used to stand and say "I am so grateful I am a member of Gods one true church and we have all truth" and things like that. Now they seem almost apologetic in testimonies or if not apologetic, defensive. Weird shift. Very strange to see. It like a pall over the whole religion.

Is it just here or have you noticed the same things in your area?

I detect lots of going through the motions these days, though not from everyone, and I'm actually glad in a small way as this would be really depressing. This problem could be a case of an element of the reality breaking through into the dream if I'm right. Part of those afflicted with the condition of having to believe that it's true comes through and says "hey, this isn't really how this works. Use your enthusiasm and time on something real enough to matter. I'll wake you up if I see it." I don't think from my experience that home teaching survives for long if this happens.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 10/23/2014 08:15PM by masonfree.

How can you get motivated when essays with even more bad news comes out every few months? I hear some folks on this board say that they don't know of any TBMs who are aware of the essays. But in my area there are a fair number of folks aware of the essays.

The writing is on the wall...

The Mormons here are very into their Kool aid. Changing their FB to "I'm a mormon", promoting, petitioning, challenging each other to go see Meet the Mormons, etc. They still get up on Sunday and say stuff about The One True Church. Wish it wasn't so but it is.

Hey buddy, I'm moving to the other side of the mountain! My self-righteous Morg neighbors show no letting up. But then, they probably are too busy reading the Deseret News to know about the recent Morg articles. The Utah Boner.

Oh yeah you got it! The Mormons here seem to be more subdued. The meeting I went to there were testimonies about friends and family members leaving the church, and I kid you not that only the kids said "I know the church is true". None of the adults.

generationofvipers Wrote:
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> The Mormons here seem to be more subdued.



Here, as well.

Actually...an accurate description would be "very laid back."

I think Mormon fervor is, at least to some extent, directly connected to their proximity to the Holy Land. (No not Israel. Not Jackson County either. I mean Utah of course!) Not sure where you are in Colorado, but 'back in my day' as a youth in the Church we would occasionally travel to Colorado for some dances and stuff. The Colorado Mormons always seemed 'cooler' and less... Utah- Mormony. Even less Utah-Mormony than Wyoming Mormons.

The kids were more normal, the girls prettier, (partly because the usual dress code wasn't as stringently enforced) and they played better music because they weren't so anal about the 'message' or minor curse word in music selections.

The Relief Society ain't what she used to be. It has basically been trashed and turned into a glorified Sunday School Class. Certainly nothing positive to get excited about anymore.

When I hear the way my Dad describes church when he was young I hardly recognize certain things. It seems like it had a lot more fun, adventure, and community participation programmed in. The church I know seems to be devoid of most of what might have made it enjoyable before.

There sure isn't the increase in parked cars on Sundays that there is at the hellfire and brimstone joint down the road.

Ron Burr

I've heard talk of several Raymond Mormon families/people have jumped ship and crossed over to that E-Free church, one guy was bishop of the 7th ward. Heard some were also going to that other one, the 'Church of the Starbucks' latte social and rock band bunch. Victory? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lzw2Ww2A2pM

It'll take a long while here, as it's been entrenched for decades.

Apostate news from the outside world arrives here a little later, too.

Yes. Lots just going through the motions. It's family tradition. The most kids mormons my age have are 4, Our stake had to reorganize because 2 wards dissolved, which says a lot given this is AZ and we have new temples?

I noticed a new co-worker of mine was drinking a large soda at our 8am meeting. So I asked him, are you LDS? And I swear he was like a deer in the headlights. His face turned all red and he said yeah and quickly changed the subject. I felt sorry for him because I could clearly see he was embarrassed about being outed. And I didn't inquire further. Being a Mormon is embarrassing and I genuinely like the guy.

But yeah, I don't see the energy or conviction that was among the membership when I was growing up in Mesa. I've heard people are just waiting for the grandparents to die to leave the church.

I work in a large building, and the lady next to me, an attorney for the place, has a "Y" sticker on her car. I ask her one day as we were walking in together, "Hey parking buddy, I see you have a BYU sticker? Are you BYU alumni?" She immediately responded, "are you?", I said, "oh no, i just know about the cougs being an avid college football fan." Her face started turning red, and she was EMBARRASSED to be outed. She said, "wow that's interesting that you would pick up on that...most don't know what they "Y" means." I said, "oh yeah, BYU, Provo, Mormons, Steve Young." Her face turned an even more beet red.

Then there another gal in my office that I outed. She ahd the same reaction, and was extremely surprised that the mormon knick knack she had setting on her desk had outed her.

These days, for most of 'em - it's embarrassing to be them. Bwahahahahahahahah. I was always embarrassed though.

I went to a ward that was mostly retirees. They were burnt out before they arrived.

The super TBM families that kept it afloat, either divorced, apostatized, died, or just faded away. The bishop they currently have isn't too into it. I wouldn't be surprised if he went exmo after his stint as bishop.

The year we left (2011) there were 9 families that left. Three of them were probably the top tithe payers. I think that ward is limping along. I know for sure it would be horrible to be a teenager in that ward. YW leader is 70. Oh yippee.

WTF? There are Mormons in Colorado?

Believe it or not there are! But let me give you one example of what I'm talking about. Home teaching, which I consider a pretty good indicator of real commitment instead of just going through the motions, is about 5 to 10% in our ward and 5 to 15% in the stake. It's just a big joke. The stake president was our home teacher for three years and we never saw him!



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 10/24/2014 08:45AM by generationofvipers.

No real fervor or excitement in my part of CO but all are definitely committed and believing
*sigh*

Though we aren't attenders, what I see is some people becoming more and more fundamental. Not too many, but more than before.

Though it will be complicated and not easy predict I see two main routes for the church. Shrink in size and include mostly the hard core people that actually believe in the B of M and don't ask questions. As older people die out the moderate part of the church will die with it.

The other route is to just change the doctrines and become more like a church where they give a lot to charity and help their fellow man. Imagine using the resources of LDS Inc., to help people and sending out 40,000 kids to help people learn to read, build houses, feed orphans etc. (not missionaries/salesman for LDS Inc). I know this is a dream, but I hope this is the direction it goes. It would not take too long.

the changes in the goals of the mission program which you reference would be good to see, but the 2 year service thing needs to go. Short, church-financed missions of specific purpose that fit in better with schooling and work schedules would be an improvement.

Went to a bar and grill where I socialize with friends on weekends last Fri. night, and it is AMAZING how many mormons I have met at this place. This is NOT in the morridor or even close, but it is a resort town and people visit from all over.

I completely ruined one guys testimony last week, as we talked about how he is still in and has a wife and 4 kids and many doubts. I assured him his doubts are right on track and told him to check out mormon.think to learn more about the REAL truth. He left pretty shaken I think, but he wanted to know why I left, so I told him, pretty much everything. He was from Colorado, visiting.

But most of the people I know that are associated with mormonism, and there are many that live here, are NO longer. They have left. some many years ago, and for various reasons. They don't seem to know or care if it is true or not. They just think it is silly.

My converted neighbor (he is our keeper?) recently came over to tell me to tell my never-active son that the ward had moved. He continued to say that 24 people had died in their ward this year, but they were moving to a bigger building because attendance had increased by 30%. WTH? Really?

He is known in the neighborhood as Gladys Kravitz due to his nosy nature and gossiping. He also embellishes the truth constantly.

LOL... Gladys Kravitz.

I don't hang with many mormons in person. My neighbors across the street still go every single Sunday. During conference Sunday they stayed inside all day - I assume watching it.

But I have noticed that Mormon articles in the Statesman don't have near as many faithful defending TSCC against the scum that make fun of them. lol It used to be that on Sunday there would be a rash of rebuttals from those just getting out of church. Apparently they're not encouraging members to do that anymore, because I haven't seen it in a long time.

We're playing BYU tonight and the football forum drew a few BYU faithful, which drew out quite a few Bronco fans who say they are Mormon but hate BYU. So there are still a whole lot of them around, they're just quieter from what I can see.